News, views, food, books and other writings, with the assist of character dolls. My art blog, dealing with fine art, exhibits and works in progress, is http://beautifulmetaphor.blogspot.com.
Please note that all pictures and text are copyright to Liz Adams, and may not be used in any form without explicit permission. Thank you for respecting my ownership.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Further Adventures in Waging Peace and What Can Happen

I went to hike on the Preserve, in pursuit of my Waging Peace effort for November 11, and after a lovely hike, bit tired, day turned beautiful and warm, I decided to sit and admire the lake from the bench outside the Audubon building. I noticed a gang of people on the steps, evidently a meeting or symposium or something, they have them a lot for people interested in the natural world, didn't take much notice.

Then a nice guy came over and sat with me, as I was looking through my binoculars just in case I could see anything moving, and asked what I'd seen today. I mentioned the yellow rumped warblers on the trail, and commented that it was a bit early in the day to see much activity. Whereupon he introduced himself: Pete Dunne. If you want to know why this was exciting, go here

So we had a nice chat and he said he'd seen me sitting in the sun on the bench and decided "there's a person who knows how to use a day like this." And ducked out of the meeting. So we talked about the season and I indicated I'd been down to Cape May quite a bit, and he stunned me by saying, yes, I know, on the hawkwatch platform, remind me of your name again. I guess when you watch birds as much as he has, you note people, too! wondered what my field marks were..

Then he had to return to his meeting which turned out to be the statewide Audubon staff meeting, and the reason he was there, rather than up on the Kittatinny Ridge between NJ and Pa watching hawks and the fall colors. He's well liked and I can see why.

Then home again, and friend and artist Mike E. showed up with a couple of blades he had promised me for art, possibly weaving, purposes. These are blunt and not high enough quality for him to get them set again and sharpened, so he gave them to me for peaceful uses! My version of beating swords into plowshares. Blades into Looms!

Love your idea of waging peace on November 11th. While I didn't live through war I grew up in a home where a beloved uncle was killed in WW2, then married a man who grew up in a home where his uncle went MIA in that same war. I remember their grief as I remember their passed down memories of these two young men. Peace be with you all - Jean in Cowtown